Remember, it was only a Republican president, Nixon, who could dare to open relations with Communist China. Why? Because by merely being Republican he could be seen as above and beyond accusations of being "soft on Communism". A Democrat must ever fear such an accusation, because it has been used for so long by the Republicans as a standard tactic to discredit Democrats.

So, we have the ironical situation that the party which poses as the ultimate defender of the John Wayne faith (the Republicans) is the one which must make the overt overtures to the various "evil enemies" out there in the World that the faith conjures up to keep itself in guns and butter. The "liberal" party, the Democrats, hardly dares to, lest it be accused of the usual stuff it is always accused of.

It is laughable that the Democrats have to pretend to BE LIKE Republicans in order to get elected. That's why they looked high and low for a candidate last time who had an impressive war record. He still got shafted anyway, regardless, in the usual way. That's why they had the poor hapless Michael Dukakis pose for a picture sitting in an Army tank with a helmet on his head. He looked totally out of place, and he was.

I've said this before and I'll say it again. Canada has NEVER elected a prime minister on the basis of his military credentials or his arch-patriotism. Never. This country does not run on the John Wayne mentality.